HomeMy WebLinkAbout032125 - WSF New Vessel Construction UpdateALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
County and City Elected Officials from WSF-served communities,
Good afternoon.
As our crewing levels increase, we routinely complete more than 99% of our scheduled sailings, and we finalize adding summer service, we maintain our focus on building new vessels.
Constructing new boats is key to future service reliability and a complicated process.
Our system electrification team, now ably led by David Sowers, who has decades’ experience leading major projects, has worked hard to keep three shipyards, all pre-qualified, engaged
in the bidding process. This will ensure both building the best boats and competition to ensure the best use of taxpayer dollars. The opening of bids from the three yards had been
planned for Monday, April 7, however this week the three companies individually asked for a month’s extension in submitting their bids. To keep all three yards engaged, we have agreed
to extend the bid opening until May 12. The delay is not based on the boats being hybrid/electric, but rather the importance of shipyards having the time necessary to review over 800
pages of technical documents informing their bids. Failure to do so can result in shipyards withdrawing from the process or adding cost to cover perceived risk.
While disappointing, especially as the bid openings will now happen after the end of the legislative session, this is the best course of action for responsive bids and keeping all three
shipyards in the process. We now expect to sign a contract with at least one of the lowest bidders by the end of June. This keeps us on track for the first new vessel to enter service
in 2029.
We appreciate the support Governor Ferguson and the legislature are providing this process. As any Google search will show, constructing new ships is difficult, but we’re on the right
path and ready to proceed in May. Please let me know if you have questions.
John
John B. Vezina (He/Him/His)
Deputy Assistant Secretary | Washington State Ferries <https://wsdot.wa.gov/travel/washington-state-ferries>
Cell: 206.473.9945 | Email: John.Vezina@wsdot.wa.gov <mailto:John.Vezina@wsdot.wa.gov>